Industry 4.0 that's how it's played.

Do you believe that? In the near future, the medicine we take is based on the genes of each person; Our breakfast can be tailored to individual tastes and nutritional needs; factory lines can start at the time the worker wants, without worrying about not being able to pick up the kids 3 o'clock in the afternoon; the machine in the production shop tells the machine what to do next, Instead of the center console technician in the operation.

Wofgang Wallstedt Wolfgangwahlster, chief executive and director of science at the German Institute of Artificial Intelligence, told the first financial daily that these present visions will be realized in the near future through the technology and production methods of "Industrial 4.0".

German industry 4.0 has become a hot topic in industrial and economic circles since the 2013 Hannover Industrial Fair, when Germany first demonstrated the simulated production process of the Intelligent Factory (smartfactory). Moreover, the industrial Revolution, a machine-machine dialogue, is creeping up all over Germany. So what is industry 4.0? Why is this sound abstract term associated with a revolution that alters the way of human production?

What exactly is German industry 4.0?

Wallstedt said: "German Industry 4.0 is the German government's" new Generation of Intelligent factory program, based on the internet of Things (Cyber-physicalsystem). This means that the network into the factory production, is a new industrial manufacturing logic and way. It used to be a central control command system, giving instructions to machines every minute. Now we have a completely different production structure, according to the information attached to the goods, by this information to tell the machine what kind of production process to create products that meet customer requirements. So industry 4.0 was the fourth industrial Revolution, because it was a shift to a larger production approach that was consistent with individualized needs. ”

Wallstedt was one of the first people to propose the 4.0 concept of industry. He is in the central German town of Kaiserslautern (Kaiserslauten) in the intelligent factory, from afar to inquire about the actual situation of the reporter explained: "The so-called thing Networking system, is through the network, physical objects between the interconnection, but also the use of the same language, communication and mutual understanding." Used in industrial production, the most important thing is the information interconnection and communication between products and machines, and the information on the products tells the machine to do what. ”

At present, Germany and the international manufacturing industry is the main and commonly used in the "embedded System", which is a mechanical or electrical components completely embedded in the controlled devices for specific applications designed by the special computer system. Germany's "embedded system" in the global market is huge, the annual market efficiency of up to 20 billion euros, doubled by 2020. and industry 4.0 is in the embedded system technology based on the innovation, and gradually transition to intelligent production.

The reporter also learned that the so-called German industry, 4.0, is in fact one of the 10 future High-tech strategic plans released by the German government in 2012, an "industrial revolution" plan to invest € 200 million in the government to ensure that German manufacturing prides itself on the world's top position, that is, for 10-15 years, Through the "Internet of Things" system to complete large-scale production, the maximum degree of production automation, personalized, flexible, self-optimization and improve production resources efficiency, reduce production costs of a new mode to achieve a revolutionary, substantial increase in productivity of the ultimate goal. According to the German National Institute of Science and Engineering research, estimated the production efficiency of enterprises can be "industrial 4.0" to increase by 30%. Second, the best use of resources to protect the environment, because the use of energy and raw materials more efficient, environmental pollution is less.

The German Industrial 4.0 program is currently being tested by the intelligent factory of the German Institute of Artificial Intelligence, in collaboration with numerous information technology, robotics, and laser sensing technology-related enterprises. Some of the research results have begun to be implemented in major German companies such as Bosch, Siemens and BASF's individual production lines.

How smart are smart factories?

Located in the central German town of Kaiserslautern, which is probably only known to football fans, the mysterious smart factory gave reporters the first impression of being very "cartoon". No more than 200 square meters of "plant" placed in two rows of small machines. One of the enclosures in the glass, it is the Hannover Industrial exhibition in the "first appearance of the spirit" of the Intelligent Business Card box assembly line.

Dominic Gaurich, deputy director of the research Department of the German Institute of Artificial Intelligence, and Dr. Dominicgorecky, who has been doing research in the Intelligent factory for 4 years, has shown to reporters the entire production process of making personal business card boxes with intelligent technology.

The first step is to collect and store personal information and product information from the computer by Radio frequency technology (RFID), establish a "product identity" which will be read by the RF sensor at all stages of the production line and then send an information order to the manufacturing equipment to satisfy the product; The second step will be "personal identity." The chassis part of the Business card box into the production line; The third step, in the "identity" of the chassis into the assembly process, the scanned RF code will inform the robot on the assembly line to put a clip on the chassis, and then set the customer specified color cover The fourth step is to create a two-dimensional code containing the personal information on the business card on the cover of the card box. That is, the business card information digital, with a smartphone scan two-dimensional code, this information can be obtained by the mobile phone and through the Internet for real-time transmission, and finally the quality of the product testing to ensure that the product is based on specific customers and production, Products fully meet the customer's personal requirements.

Domenek to reporters that intelligent production in addition to the machine to the machine to send instructions, but also a very important part is flexibility and modularity. In the intelligent assembly line, the installation of different performance components module, each component is in line with the specific customer in the electronics and machinery two aspects of the requirements of the standard, and can be added or dismantled according to actual needs, in order to be at any time according to the specific requirements of customers to adjust the product.

Reporter saw in the scene, in this Business card box production process, in addition to manually put parts into the assembly line, all procedures are through the equipment and equipment between the data reading, automatically completed by the robot. The technology involved in the whole production process includes two-dimensional code, RF code, robot software program and data analysis.

In a brochure published by the German Federal Trade and Investment agency on German industry 4.0, the reporter further learned that the use of "Internet of Things" in industrial production had spawned intelligent factories. The Intelligent Factory's information transmission path is built on the cloud based on the security of the network system. Intelligent Factory represents an industrial revolution, not only in the sense of innovation, but also in saving production time, cost, and so on fruitful, maximize the productivity of the revolution, thereby giving the market to create greater opportunities for renewal.

Kagman, president of the German National Academy of Sciences and Engineering, and chairman of the Industry 4.0 Working Group, Henningkagermann in Berlin, said in an interview with the first financial daily: "The current enterprises and technologies for manufacturing production equipment, such as the laser technology of the Qualcomm Group (TRUMPF), Siemens production of mechanical equipment, etc., enterprises and companies that use these devices to produce products in Industrial 4.0 mode, as well as enterprises that provide induction technology and robotics and ICT for automated manufacturing enterprises, such as Deutsche Telekom, are involved in the process of advancing industry 4.0 from different perspectives. Take Siemens and Bosch as an example, these enterprises have a good industrial system and high-end products. For example, Bosch's ability and technology to build intelligent systems are strong, they are good at integrating all the knowledge and creating the most suitable production environment. ”

In order to more intuitive and specific understanding of the actual production of industrial 4.0 of the promotion and application of the press, after 5 hours, 3 transfer twists and turns train journey, from Kaiserslautern came to a little-known Alpine Hill town Blechach (Blaichach). The Bosch Immenstadt Factory (Boschimmenstadtplant), which provides more than 3,000 jobs, is built on the mountain. Bosch, one of Germany's leading enterprises, is a pioneer in the practice of German Industry 4.0, its Humboldt Factory diesel engine injector assembly line effectively applies the Industrial 4.0 technical principles, through the installation of radio frequency code, to achieve dialogue between machines and machines, a greater degree of automation, as early as this summer has been in the newspapers. This reporter visits the Immenstadt factory, mainly in the production of automotive braking systems and automotive fuel supply system parts mainly, its production lines are also to more intelligent direction.

See how Bosch Practices 4.0

Ade Colleck (Arndkolleck), who specializes in the 4.0 promotion, told our correspondent that the Immenstadt factory implementation of the 4.0 plan includes 5 contents: Intelligent raw material conveying, international production network system, pipeline operation condition monitoring and support system, Remote technical support and efficient equipment management system.

The reporter was first brought to the neat and tidy car brake system production workshop. As one of the world's largest automotive technology suppliers, Bosch's Automotive braking system (ABS&ESP) has considerable strength in the market.

"Now you see the raw material conveying system is highly automated. Procedures including registration, placing orders, confirmations, and tracking are highly automated through the use of RF technology (RFID). The streamlining of production processes is further effective in increasing productivity. "Colleck said.

Reporters saw that every box with raw materials on the site have RF code, that is, the box parts of the "identity card." The RF code will automatically connect to the vehicle license plate number and a unique product number. In subsequent production, these information-containing RF "identity cards", through radio frequency identification, in the entire production process to provide production step information. When the box is unloaded from the lorry, the parts are transported to the production area. When the parts in the box are used up, the RFID code on the box is identified and entered into the network system, then the new Order request is automatically made to the supplier. This high automation raw material conveying system can increase visualization, thereby reducing inventory, reducing consumption and increasing efficiency.

In the following link, the reporter is most interested in the international Production Network Management System (INTERNATIONALPRODUCTIONNETWORK,IPN), which can embody the application of large data and Internet in industrial production. The reporter saw 3 lines in the whole workshop in the tense work. Colleck told reporters that this is through the same network management system to manage the production line, currently in 8 countries around the world set up 20 production lines, China's Suzhou Bosch factory also has a. The international production management system, through a large number of data collection and analysis, real-time ensure that all production lines continuously standardized production.

Every day, the production of the global 20 production lines through the network to the system, production line Explorer release analysis information on the system to the operation and technical personnel, such as what is the problem, which line of speed slowed down, where there has been a failure. Then, according to the information, we plan to arrange the daily work, assign the task, solve the problems in every link, and ensure the quality of the product on the line. According to Colleck, the rate of change in the production line per second is a matter of millions of euros of profit.

Let's take a look at how the problem is handled on the production line. First, the specific performance of the pipeline and the analysis of the data are automatically tracked through the production system, if there is a failure or problem, the pipeline operators will receive system information, using the ipad or other connected system network equipment, the system for standardized error correction. The use of this technology to operate, generally does not affect the entire line of normal work.

But if the field operator is not able to solve the problem, further solutions can be made by using modern communication and communication methods such as video, such as smartphones, which can be remotely guided by a higher Commissioner of technology through the Internet, taking full advantage of the global presence of Bosch expert resources.

The last thing to mention is the intelligence of equipment maintenance and management. Take the Bosch Immenstadt factory Another important product automobile oil supply system spare parts for example. Due to the production of this part of the material is high-strength plastic, the production process requires extreme heat, so the damage to the production equipment is very serious, the need for regular maintenance and replacement. In order to maximize the life of the equipment, the most effective use of the equipment, reduce unnecessary investment, to each equipment installed RF code, using Production execution System (Manufacturingexecutionsystem), each of the relevant mechanical equipment data information storage and display. This information includes the operation of the equipment, life, maintenance schedule, so that you can, as needed, while maintenance, side change, while production, orderly and rhythmic rapid completion of equipment maintenance and replacement, thereby maximizing efficiency and reduce investment.

competitiveness, business value and China

In any industrial revolution, the goal of achieving a productive span is undoubtedly to liberate the workforce to a greater extent and gain a broader market. Industry 4.0 is no exception, in the international market competition is unusually fierce today, with the manufacturing as the pillar, export-dependent German economy, is obviously hoping to use the change of mode of production and new market development to achieve economic growth leap.

Industry 4.0 "Internet of Things" technology, through the software system, network information system infrastructure to achieve, not only to improve and improve productivity, so as to maintain the status of manufacturing Big Brother, and will certainly bring new business model and new opportunities.

"Germany is a machine and technology exporter, promoting a variety of technology related to industrial 4.0, export industrial software has played an increasingly important role in the German machinery export." Wallstedt told the first financial daily reporter.

The German Federal Trade and Investment Agency, which is responsible for promoting and disseminating Germany, promoting foreign trade and attracting foreign investment, has done a lot to make the world understand 4.0 of industry. They are "Germany, intelligent solutions, smarter business" as the topic of the activities around the world. "The core challenge of Industry 4.0 is a high degree of cooperation and integration among industries," Asim Hatsey, the agency's director of services, said in an interview with Achimhartig in Berlin. ”

"It's only a matter of time," Hatsey said, referring to China's strong interest in the development of the smart industry and whether industry 4.0 is already an important part of the trade in Sino-German investment. Industry 4 first in Germany to get the practice and development, so that the manufacturing and information network communications industry to better integration. At the same time, the cooperation between Germany and China in academic research has been very frequent. Once Germany and China have deepened their cooperation in industry and information technology, their strength will be very strong. ”

(Responsible editor: Mengyishan)